Shoemaker&#39;s clamp



Sept. 27, 1960 L. DEVIATKA SHOEMAKERS CLAMP Filed Jan. 31, 1958 FIG INVENTOR VQT K A ORNEY LOUIS DE proper functioning.

2,953,796 SHOEMAKERS CLAMP Louis Deviatka, 2316 S. Sacramento Ave., Chicago 23, 111.

Filed Jan. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 712,407 7 2 Claims. (Cl. 12-403) This invention relates to improvements in shoemakers clamp, and more particularly to an improved heel clamp for use by shoemakers in repairing the heels of ladies shoes.

As is well known, the operation of repairing the heels of ladies high-heel shoes, and particularly those having so-called French or spike heels, by applying a new heel lift or tread pad thereto is rendered difficult and timeconsuming because of the likelihood of the long slender heel bodies which are usually made of wood being split by the nails or tacks driven thereinto to secure the new heel lift. :If the wooden heel body is split, not only must the entire heel be replaced but in some cases the A wooden heel of the other shoe of the pair must be replaced also for identity of heel styleor design. While attempts have been made to devise a tool for use-by shoemakers or, more properly, shoe repairmen in the form of a clamp which tightly embraces and supports the portion of the wooden heel likely to be split when nailed into, such have not been met with favor due either or both to their cumbersome construction and/or the difficulty in applying them to the wooden heel for their Stated broadly, a major object of the invention is the I provision of a shoemakers clamp for use in repairing the heels of ladies high-heel shoes 'wihch not only solves the problems of nailing a heel lift or pad to the. wooden heel without danger of splitting or otherwise impairing the latter, but also a heel clamp forthe stated purpose 1 which is characterized by simple construction and by adesign which enables the clamp to be applied to and removed from the heel with a minimum manipulation.

More particularly, the invention contemplates and aims to provide a shoe repairmans heel clamp capable of satisfying the needs of the shoemaker or cobbler'in repairingthe heels of ladies high-heel shoes quickly and without danger of splitting the usually long slender woodenheel forming the heel body and to which the leather or composition heel lift is nailed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a heel clamp as aforesaid which is so constructed as to be adapted to the various types and styles of ladies highheel shoes currently in vogue.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple vise-type heel clamp for use in repairing the heels of ladies shoes; which is characterized by sturdy construction and ease in application,'; and which is thoroughly dependable in its operation. a Y i The above and other objects and features of advantage of a heel clamp according to the invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof, taken with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred physical form thereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrative of the improved heel clamp of the invention and further showing the manner in which the clamp jaws close about a heel typical of a high French or spike heel shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the heel clampaccording to Fig. '1 and further illustrating its manner of use;

' Fig. 3 is an end view of the clamp shown in' Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. I intended to illustrate the adaptability of a heel clamp as herein proposed 'to.

heels of a different size and type from that shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a' view illustrating a heel repair operation.

made possible by the sliding jaw construction of a heel clamp according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that a heel clamp according to the invention has the form of a vise in that it comprises a generally rectangular frame 11 fashioned as a U-member having spaced parallel side arms 12, 14 and a connecting cross part 16, and a cross head 18 extending between and affixed as by rivetsto'f the free ends of the side arms 12, 14, the cross head forming the fourth or closed side of the frame. Mounted for relative sliding movement within the frame is a pair' of jaw members 20, 22, and connected to the jaw memerating screw 26 in one direction efiects closing of the clamp jaw members 20, 22, and turning of the'screw in the opposite direction'results in opening of said clamp jaws.

Preferably, the clamp jaws 20, 22 each has a tongue and-slot form of connection with the frame, which may be simply provided bysIotting the opposite side edges ,of the jaw members for the accommodation of the corresponding inner edges of the frame arms 12 and 14, which For a pur latter in eifect form longitudinal tongues. pose to be hereinafter explained, the jaw member 20,

rather than having a fixed or immovable position in which it always abuts the frame end-part 16, is also slidable' 'within the frame 10. Therefore, its end edge 20xis" slotted as are its opposite side edges as aforesaid, so as to accommodate the corresponding inner edge of the frame end-part 16. p v r V According to an important feature of the invention, the

complemental jaw faces 30, 32 of the clamp jaw members 20, 22 are shaped to provide an opening or recess contoured to the curved surface of the portion of the heel of a ladies high-heel shoe which is adjacent the heel lift or tread and into which the nails or tacks which secure the heel lift are driven. Accordingly, as they are viewed in plan, the jaw faces 30, 32 extend along a curvature which generally corresponds to that of a hori-l zontal section taken through a ladies shoe heel near the lower end thereof, whereby when the clamp jaw -membe'rs are closed on the heel, said jaw faces together'are adapted to closely embrace the heel portion as to firmlyf' In addition, the jaw faces 30, 32 arel clamp the same. sloped or tapered in a relatively vertical direction so that they follow the progressively thinning section of the socalled French or spike heel as it approaches *its lower or heel-lift end thereof. Such latter feature is achieved without undue thickening'of the clamp jaw members 20,

22 by forming said jaw members with flanges 34, 36

5 which, in adition to bounding and in part defining the complemental jaw faces 30, 3 2, furthermore, as seen in Fig. 2, extend beyond (upwardly from) the plane of said jaw members and thus have the effect of imparting increased vertical depth to said jaw forces, as compared to their depth if the jaw faces were formed only to the thickness of the jaw members 20', 22. Accordingly, the jaw faces 30, 32 are adapted to bear against the heel Patented Sept 2-7, 1960::

clamped therebetween for a substantial vertical dimension of the heel, as distinguished from engaging the heel along a line or narrow band thereof.

While it is believed that the manner of using a shoe clamp asdescribed and illustrated will be obvious from the annexed drawing, a brief description thereof is given as follows: To apply the clamp to a shoe heel requiring a new heel lift, the clamp is opened up by turning the operating screw 26 in jaw-opening direction, as results in the righthand clamp jaw 22 moving to the right (Fig. l), the companion clamp jaw 20 being already positioned against or being manually moved against the frame endpart16. The clamp is then slipped over the heel to be repaired and the jaw members tightened thereon by turning the screw 26 in jaw-closing direction, as results in the clamp. jaws closing on. and firmly embracing the heel disposed within the clamp opening as defined by the complemental heel-shaped jaw faces 30, 32.

Here it is observed that the heel opening provided by thejaw faces. as aforesaid is so disposed that when the clamp is. properly applied to a heel it extends laterally therefromasis indicated in Fig. 1. Such an arrangement facilitates the application, tightening and removal of the clamp, as compared to prior clamps whose operating. means extend longitudinally intothe instep arch of the shoe, and hence. are not freely manipulable. As also see in Fig. 2, when the clamp is tightened on the smaller lower-end'portion of the heel (which is of course the end towhich the new heel lift is to be secured as by nailing) with its opening-defining flanges 34, 36 disposed toward the smaller end of the heel, it embraces said heel portion with considerable pressure throughout substantially the side. and rear portions of its periphery and for an appreciable depth zone of the heel. The flanges also effectively space the clamp body from the heel lift asit is being applied for at least the full vertical dimension of said flanges, which spacing is suflicicnt to enable the, shoemaker to see what he is doing and what is happening to the heel without his view thereof being blocked by said clamp. body. In brief, whenthef clamp is properly positioned on the heel and the clamp jaws closed thereon as aforesaid, the heel portion likelyto be split is adequately andeffectively held againstsplitting when the nails which secure the heel lift are driven thereinto, despite the relatively fragile nature and the make-up of. the. heel.

A. comparison of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 will illustrate that a clamp according to the invention may be applied to a wide variety of heel styles. Thus, Whereas the Fig. 1 clamp is shown as applied to. a high French or spike heel, the clamp according to Fig. 4 is shown as applied to a straight or so-ealled Cuban heel which, as is well known, is one having greater thickness and less height than the French or spike heel.

Fig. 5 illustrates a particular use of a clamp according to the invention made possible by the fact that both of its clamp jaws 20, 22 are slidably mounted in the clamp frame 10,. In explanation, when repairing the heels of ladies shoes, it is often necessary to re-glue the decorative leather covering conventional in wooden heel construction to the lower-end portion of a heel being repaired. Such an operation is simplified if each of the jaw members 20, 22 can be individually moved against the heel to holdthe covering thereto following application of the glue or other adhesive to the wooden heel. Thus, Fig. 5 shows the jaw member 20 to have been moved against one side of the heel so as to hold the leather covering re-glued to that side to the wood of the heel body. This relationship of jaw member to heel may be manually maintained until the re-glued leather has set to the heel or the heel and clamp jaws may be moved together to their Fig. 1 position jby turning the adjusting screw 26 when the holding pressure exercised by the jaws on the leather covering may be augmented by a slight further turning of the adjusting screw.

Without further analysis, it will be appreciated that the vise-type heel clamp according to the present invention satisfies all the various requirements of a shoe repairmans heel clamp in effective and thoroughly dependable manner. Also to be observed 'is that the basic structure of such a clamp is such that it may be simply constructed yetis durable and thoroughly dependable in use. As comparedto prior heel clamps, the present heel clamp is much more simple to apply to and remove from shoe heels being repaired and, by virtue of the fact that when applied to a heel its major dimension extends laterally therefrom, the herein heel clamp offers, little or no interference, totherepair work being done on thejclarnped As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope o the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A hand-operated clamp for use in repairing the heels of ladies"high-heel shoes comprising a generally rectangular open frame comprising a U-member making up three sides of the frame and a cross member extending across the open end of the U-memberand closing the same, jaw members each having tongue and slot connection with and being mounted to slide along the side members of the U-member, an operating screw extending into the frame through the cross member and having a swivel connection'with the one jaw member adjacent thereto and being operative to move said jaw member towards the companion jaw member, said jaw members having complemental jaw faces defining a through opening shaped generally to the contour of the heel-pad end portion of the heel body 'of a ladies shoe, said jaw faces tapering to correspond generally to the progressively reducing section of the heel characterizing its heel-pad'end portion, the construction and arrangement being such that when said jaw faces are actuated into tight engagement with the heel-pad portion of the heel of a ladies shoe supported in inverted position from below the clamp thedanger of said heel body being split when nailing a heel pad thereto is minimized. i

2. A hand-operated clamp'for use in repairing the heels of ladies high-heel shoes substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one jaw member is 'actnable' solely by the operating screw and said companion jaw member is freely slidable relatively towards and away from said one jaw member for the length of the space between the closed end of the U-member' and said one jaw member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATE NTS 125,529 Bigelow A r. 9, 1372 379,029 Raymond Mar. 6, 1888 1,897,569 Bellavance et al. Feb. 14, 1933 2,642,766 Elsberg June 23, 1953 2,643,563 Gandreau June 30, 1953 

